Guarani heritage

After the departure of the Jesuits, most of the natives who had been integrated into the missions continued with the communitarian and autonomous work methods that they had developed, and slowly became integrated into the society of the Province of Paraguay. On the other hand, other indians returned to the forests when the Jesuits left them. Surviving Guaraní continue to practice communal agriculture in some rural areas and Guaraní culture has had a strong influence on present-day Paraguayan musical folklore. The descendants of Guaraní women and Spanish ranchers are today Paraguay's rural population which as called mestizo. Only a few scattered communities of “pure” Guaraní remain, but Paraguay claims a strong Guaraní heritage, and most of the people living along the Paraguay River near Asunción speak Guaraní, yet with a Spanish influence. Guaraní are proud of their heritage and often define themselves by three aspects of their culture: speaking Guaraní, drinking yerba (herb) tea, and eating mandioca (cassava).